Orville Taylor | Why not Kay?

A silent ‘K’ sometimes occurs in the English language. However, if you remove it from some key words, you get ‘not’ and ‘now’. It was symbolic what my former senior media colleague Kay Osborne did last week, as she tried to unravel the ‘knot’ surrounding the recent enormous pay hikes for our elected officials. After all, she, like so many ordinary unaffiliated Jamaicans, simply needed to ‘know’ what is the rationale for the sudden and sharp increase.

True, I have been on record consistently lamenting the low remuneration of our parliamentarians, especially when they supervise top public servants, who earn more than them.

However, the way it was implemented, ostensibly unilaterally, caused large chunks of the Jamaican electorate to suggest that they were mentored by veteran entertainer Junior Demus’ big brother.

A scathing letter, written in another newspaper, which understandably most Jamaican might have missed, attempted to question her sense of priorities. Lying in the middle of the road, though with enough precautions to prevent a horrible traffic consequence, in Road Safety Month, Osborne, a tiny woman, could easily become skid marks.

But, then again, maybe she was actually making an allegorical or analogical reference to its homograph; because the move by the Government could leave an indelible and pungent stain on its legacy.

Clearly, the writer was a bit misguided about the priorities that Osborne has. According to him, “So many things have happened in Jamaica, including the brutal murder of women and children. None, as I can recall, prompted Osborne to lay in the streets.”

NOTHING WRONG

On the surface of it, there is nothing really wrong with his line of questioning. Indeed, these are clear and incontrovertible priorities for any society, government, or conscientious citizen like her. However, there is an important point, though subtle, which is being missed. The fact is, unless one happens to convict one of the 63 people in Parliament, none of them is a drug dealer, paedophile, rapist or murderer. Moreover, the last time I checked, none of us elected or voted for anyone that we know is connected to any of these horrendous crimes which rightfully have drawn the writer’s indignation.

Osborne’s protest cannot be against criminals. It has to be directed against those persons we have elected to run the country in a fashion consistent with the interest of all. And, therefore, if anyone, including Osborne, is of the opinion that government is not acting in the interest of the people, whether she is right or wrong in her judgement, she has, like anyone else, the right to protest.

For the record, our own political history evidences relations between political parties and criminal gangs.

Also, flashback 95 years ago, and founder of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Alexander Bustamante, bared his chest and faced down the colonial administration for what he felt was the injustice being meted out again the working class in Jamaica.

He lost two years of his life for this.

Busta’s spirit is deep in the JLP’s DNA and whenever it forgets this, especially in a pre-election environment, it often works to its detriment in the polls.

Personally, I am happy that nothing happened to Osborne, except maybe that she smudged her makeup. And given the substance on her back and its breadth, I can see water bouncing without her having to duck.

Nonetheless, there is a very important point, as regards the research and data on governance corruption, perceived corruption and criminality.

CORRUPTION

Never mind the narrative. As outlined in multiple columns in this space, the average Jamaican, some 90 per cent of us, have never had to pay a bribe to a public official. Therefore, our corruption victimisation is very low.

On the other hand, between 70 and 80 per cent of citizens believe that corruption is rampant among our politicians.

International data point to high levels of violence and other crimes when actual corruption at the highest levels is present. Osborne didn’t only go to Sunday school; she has seen the data across nations.

With a dead heat between the two political parties in the recent Don Anderson surveys, the government has a slope with a gradient of between 75 and 80 per cent, that it has to climb.

It certainly isn’t helping that it appears as if there is an impasse between the Integrity Commission and the government, with its main mouthpiece on constitutional rights and reform duelling in the court of public opinion. To the reasonable bystander, who has no political loyalty, any apparent confrontation between the Commission and the Government will be a loss for the latter.

And, while it might be true that the Opposition is jumping on the opportunity, to make political mileage out of it; this is what politicians do. Fielders cannot be blamed for taking catches when batsmen make wayward shots.

Osborne might very well have laid down, because she couldn’t stand what she sees as injustice. But everything starts at the head of the stream.

Her logic might be difficult to swallow, but, in the end, as the situation gels, the writer might no longer ask Kay, ‘Why?’

- Dr Orville Taylor is senior lecturer at the Department of Sociology at The University of the West Indies, a radio talk-show host, and author of ‘Broken Promises, Hearts and Pockets’. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and tayloronblackline@hotmail.com.